Three Days
by Darquess
Summary: In an effort to protect Kagome, Inuyasha tells Kouga to get her away from the battle they're fighting with Naraku.  Now Kagome is staying with the wolf demon tribe and has no idea if her friends are alive or dead.  reading fanfics got me in a writing mood
1. Prologue

_~~Prolouge~~_

"Kagome!" Inuyasha jumped, landing by Kagome's side just long enough to grab her and jump again, narrowly avoiding _Ryujia no Mai_ (Dance of the Dragon). As he jumped through the ruble kicked up by the attack, Inuyasha cast his eyes quickly around the battle field, taking in the situation.

There was Sango, locked into an intense and deadly sparring match with her brother, the one surviving member of her village and her family. Kohaku's eyes were glazed over, clearly he wasn't in control of himself. Sparks flew as Sango's Wakizashi blocked her brother's. Her Hiraikotsu laid forgotten nearby, tangled in his chain-scythe. She was calling his name, trying to snap him out of his hypnotic state, trying to make him remember his past and remember her.

Miroku was locked in battle with Naraku, or rather the root like tendrils spawning from his lower half. He furiously hacked away at Naraku's limbs but even with the help of Kirara he never got close enough to touch Naraku himself. No matter how much he hacked away there were always several more tendrils to take the place of the ones he sliced.

That scrawny wolf (aka Koga) was running around like a maniac. After unleashing a quick attack on Kagome in an attempt to distract the group, Kagura had turned her attention to the wolf demon and was releasing assault after assault of her _Fujin no Mai_ (Dance of Blades), aiming her attacks mostly at Koga's legs in an attempt to not only injure him but remove his Shikon no Tama (Jewel of Four Souls) shards.

Shippo was being the scared little kid he was. To his credit, if he saw a chance to use his Fox Magic to help his friends he would, but for the most part he was running in circles as he tried not to get hit and looked for a place to hide.

Inuyasha cursed to himself as he landed. He felt Kagome move slightly behind him and draw another arrow from her quiver. She might be prepared to try and fire again, but her last arrow was what had drawn Kagura's attention to her and Inuyasha wasn't prepared to let Kagome take that risk again. His mind worked fast as she put the arrow to her bowstring. He could only see one immediate solution to the problem, he may loathe the idea but he couldn't think of anything better in the middle of this battle.

"Hey Koga! Take Kagome and get out of here!" He shouted in the wolf demon's general direction.

"Huh?" Kagome stared at Inuyasha in shock as her arrow flew way off course.

"What?" Koga asked as he jumped to avoid another of Kagura's attacks. Had he heard that damn mutt right? Had he actually told him to take the women he had been trying to court?

"You heard me! And don't go getting any ideas! You so much as lay a hand on her and I'll slice it off you pathetic wolf!" Inuyasha leaped back into the battle, unleashing his _Kaze no Kizu_ (Wind Scar) in Kagura's general direction in an effort to buy enough time for Koga to grab Kagome and run.

"But…Inuyahsa!" Kagome yelled indignantly at the half-demon's back, furious with him for trying to send her away while he was still in danger.

"Don't have to tell me twice…" Koga muttered to himself. He landed easily behind Kagome and smoothly swept her feet out from under her so she was lying in his arms like a groom would carry his bride. "Come on Kagome," he said, giving her a wink, "Let's get you out of danger."

"What – ?" Kagome managed to get out before Koga took off running at top speed, leaving a small whirlwind behind him. "No! INUYASHA!" Kagome stretched her arm out toward the retreating battle, as if she could grab onto Inuyasha's robe and drag him along with her.


	2. Day One

_~~Day One~~_

Koga ran and ran with Kagome in his arms. He didn't even start to slow down until the scenery changed into the familiar canyons that the wolf demon tribe called home. The sun rising over the canyons gave the rocks a slight glow, which would have made a beautiful scene if either of them had actually been paying attention. However, Koga was paying more attention to where he was going to make the ride smooth for Kagome, who was trying to contain the emotional chaos within her.

"Hey Koga!" Ginta and Hakkaku could be seen just outside the cave hidden behind the waterfall. They had probably been in the middle of doing some chore or task that they had abandoned when they saw Koga approaching. Koga slid easily to a stop just in front of his comrades.

"Hey guys!" Koga greeted his tribe as Kagome slipped out of his arms. Although Kagome received greetings from quite a few of the pack, most of the attention was on Koga since they all knew he had left following the strong scent of Naraku.

"So how'd it go?"

"Is Naraku dead?"

"Did you win?"

"What happened?"

"Guys, guys, cool it." Koga said, calming down their excitement. "I'll give you all the full details later. For now just know I ditched the party to keep my woman safe." He slung his arm around Kagome in a cool but protective gesture.

Kagome had been silently fuming ever since Koga had grabbed her and run. She was particularly furious with Inuyasha for sending her away and angry at herself for letting Koga take her. Koga acting as if nothing was wrong _and_ as though she was his property pushed her a step over the line.

"You….you JERK!" Kagome pushed his arm away, her anger boiling over. She was this close to slapping him. Her voice rose with each word, and her face turned a slight shade of red. "How _dare_ you just grab me and take me away from my friends like that! Did you even _think _that maybe I'd rather stay and help fight Naraku? Not to mention you 'ditching the party' is just another way of saying you RAN AWAY! That's not something to be admired. You're just a coward and a jerk!" Kagome let out a 'humph' as she turned on her heels and walked away. She made her way to a rock that overlooked the river below and sat on it, her back to the wolf demon tribe.

Koga and his tribe stared at Kagome for a moment, shock on all of their faces, especially Koga's. Some of them even looked a little scared. All of them were trying to remember if they had ever seen Kagome even remotely close to mad before.

"Uhhh…Kagome…?" Ginta asked, carefully taking a half-step towards her.

"I'm staying right here until Inuyasha comes and gets me." Kagome stated shortly, folding her arms across her chest in determination.

"Maybe you should give her some time to cool off." Hakkaku muttered quietly to Koga.

"Uhh…yea…everyone go back to what you were doing!" Koga ordered as he regained his composure, "…and steer clear of her if you can," he added under his breath as the tribe dispersed, moving back into its normal routine.

Koga stood there for a moment after the pack had scattered, staring at Kagome's back. She'd seemed truly upset when she had all but yelled at him. All he had done was try to keep her safe…what was she so mad about? Should he just let her sit there? Was there something he could say or do to get her to come around? After all, now was the perfect time to make his move while that damn mutt wasn't around. He stared at her for another second, puzzling over this dilemma, before he sighed and muttered something about women. He turned away from Kagome and made his way behind the waterfall to do who-knows-what. He only hoped that she would calm down soon and maybe even start warming up to him.


	3. Night One

_~~Night One~~_

The sun had set a few hours earlier, and there was a warm, crackling fire lighting up the wolf tribe's cave. Kouga was standing beside the waterfall that hid the cave entrance, watching Kagome. The girl had kept her stubborn promise so far, not moving so much as an inch throughout the whole day. She was still waiting for that damn mutt to show up. Night had arrived though, and she was only human. For a moment he debated on going over to her, wondered if her temper from earlier had cooled off yet. He reasoned that no one could stay that upset for this long, and besides if he was going to try winning her over now was a good time to start.

"Hey." Kagome jumped at the sound of a voice after the pack had left her alone for the majority of the day. She turned to see Koga standing just behind her, worry in his eyes.

"You know, its getting kind of cold out." Koga stated, choosing his words carefully to try and avoid upsetting her again. "You should probably come inside. We have a nice fire going and there's some pelts in there you can use for blankets."

"I'm fine out here, thanks." Kagome stated stubbornly, unwilling to admit that only seconds ago she had gotten her shivers under control and longed to go inside where it was warm. But if Inuyasha came, she wanted to be right here.

Koga sighed, his mind working fast until he came up with a potential solution. "Will you do it for the mutt?" He saw her stiffen slightly at the mention of Inuyasha and knew he struck a chord. Taking a gamble, he continued with this line of thought. "I mean, hey, if it was just me I guess I'd let you stay out here all night if you really wanted to, but the mutt told me to keep you safe. Imagine his reaction when he finds I got you away from Naraku then let you catch a cold. Besides, you've barely eaten all day and the mutt will probably threaten to cut out my stomach for starving you."

Kagome closed her eyes, holding back a sigh. Koga was right, Inuyasha wouldn't be happy to come here only to find her exhausted, starving, and sick. He'd probably be mad at both her and Koga. "Alright," she said at last, standing, "I'll come inside."

"Alright." Koga said, slightly cheerful as he carefully put an arm around her shoulder in a friendly gesture.

Kagome didn't try to brush off his arm as he guided her into the cave. It was actually quite comforting. For a moment she wished Koga would pull her into a hug so she could bury her face in the pelts that served as his shirt and cry. She was so scared had happened to her friends while she was being kept safe here. It was killing her not to know what had happened, and it was taking so much of her energy not to break down and cry in front of the pack. She glanced up at the night sky before it was hidden by the rocky walls of the wolf demon tribe's home. '_Inuyasha…_'

* * *

><p>Koga was worried about Kagome. She had sat next to him by the fire, totally silent and picking at the food they had offered her without really eating any of it, as the wolf demon tribe laughed and talked and had a good time. When the pack started to bug Koga for details on the battle with Naraku, she had muttered to him something about wanting to go to sleep. Hearing the sadness in her voice and seeing the slightly dejected look on her face was more than enough for Koga to excuse himself from the group and escort her back to his sleeping area. Once there, he offered her some pelts to use as an improvised sleeping bag, which she accepted with mumbled thanks. He went back to the group after watching her pick a spot in the back corner and curl up into a small ball in the pelts.<p>

He had kept an ear on her all night, or tried to with the rowdiness of the pack anyway. It seemed as though she was resting peacefully. Now that the tribe's usual evening activities were finished and most of the wolves had gone to bed, he could hear her so much more clearly. He could hear her tiny whimpers, could see her little movements as she tried to curl up tighter on herself. His heart ached a little, her sleep was anything but peaceful but he didn't know what to do. He could wake her up, but she was only a human so she needed whatever rest she could get, peaceful or not. He wasn't really sure if she'd appreciate waking up in his arms either, because whether he liked it or not that damn mutt still had a firm grasp on her heart.

He watched her for a bit longer, torn in two because he had no idea how to help her. Finally coming to a decision, he manned up and walked over to where she was sleeping. He knelt down next to her and ever-so-gently lifted her head into his lap. In the softest voice he could manage, he told her that everything would be okay. It took a moment or two but Kagome slowly quieted down, sinking deeper into sleep. Koga let out a relieved sigh. Apparently his presence had been enough to calm her. For a brief second he allowed himself to wonder if the mutt could say the same thing.

He sat there watching her sleep, even daring to play with her beautiful black hair for a moment. She was so peaceful compared to just a few moments ago, not to mention she was so much cuter. He was very tempted to stay like this all night keeping her head in his lap while ensuring her peaceful slumber. After all, he was a full blood youkai so he could skip a night or two of sleep. Then he heard her mutter something in her sleep, it was barely audible but Koga still heard it clearly. "…Inu…Yasha…"

This startled Koga, he stared at her uncomprehendingly for a second before letting out a half-hearted laugh. Even in her sleep she still preferred the hanyou over him. Did she still honestly believe he was alive? It might be possible that the mutt had crawled into some hole somewhere to lick his wounds but Koga had his doubts. It had been a full day already, maybe Naraku had gotten the better of the mutt in the end. That would be a plus for him, but who knew what Kagome's reaction would be if anyone tried to tell her that.

Koga watched her sleep for another moment before gently laying her head back down. He eased away from her slowly, careful not to wake her and hoping her sleep would remain peaceful. Once he was satisfied that he hadn't disturbed her, he made his way back to where he had been laying earlier. She may still love the mutt now, but if he really was gone Koga was willing to bet that with a little time he could change Kagome's mind before she gave up hope of Inuyasha returning to her alive.


	4. Day Two

_~~Day Two~~_

It was the bustle of not-so-far away activity that started causing Kagome to wake from her slumber. She sat up slowly, sleep still clouding her mind as she cast her eyes around Koga's sleeping area. At first she couldn't quite remember where she was, but as the grogginess started to clear from her thoughts her memories returned to her: the battle with Naraku, Koga running away to keep her safe, Inuyasha having yet to come and get her…

That last thought caused her to pause. A part of her wanted to curl back up under the pelts and not come back out. The fact that he hadn't come to the canyons to get her yet could mean he was seriously hurt or… – no, she wasn't going to think of anything worse than that. She stood, brushing random pieces of hair and straw from her school uniform. She told herself not to worry, that Inuyasha would be here soon, and forced herself to face the day with her head held high.

She wandered her way through the cave that served as the wolf demon's den, making her way towards the exit. She passed by a few of the pack lounging about or preparing some food, and even stopped to say hello to a she-wolf whose stomach was heavy with pups to be born soon. Kagome briefly wondered if she would be here to see the pups, but quickly dismissed the thought before it could lead her mind down the trail of what still being here could mean.

The fresh air felt good to Kagome, and she stopped to stretch a little outside the cave entrance. The wolf demons were milling about in what appeared to be usual activities. She watched them at their duties for a moment, then realized she had yet to see Koga this morning. He hadn't been in his part of the den when she had woken up, and she couldn't see him among the wolf demons outside. She took a few steps forward, looking around for Koga.

"Kagome!" A cheerful voice called out her name, causing her to turn. Ginta and Hakkaku were on a ledge just above her, carrying spears. It seemed as though they were on watch duty, but they didn't hesitate to jump down and greet her.

"Good morning." Kagome offered the two a small smile, trying to act cheerful.

"Did you sleep well?" Hakkaku asked, trying to keep the conversation friendly.

"Hai. It took a while to actually get to sleep but once I was out I was out," Kagome assured him, not wanting to tell them that her sleep had been anything but peaceful at first. Then she glanced around again, "Uhm... where's Koga..?"

"He's out on his usual morning run," Ginta informed her.

"He patrols the canyon every morning, making sure our territory is safe," Hakkaku continued. "He should be back soon…"

No sooner had the words left his mouth then a familiar whirlwind of speed was seen heading towards them. Koga easily came to a stop directly in front of the three, although his attention was clearly on Kagome.

"Good morning Kagome. I was wondering when you would wake up."

"Good morning Koga." Kagome offered him a small smile as well. Then a thought occurred to her: if Koga had been patrolling the canyon, had he seen some sign that Inuyasha was nearby?

"Oh, you're probably hungry..." Koga unhooked a bag from his belt and held it out to her. "I was passing by some fruit trees while I was out and thought you might like some. I wasn't really sure what you like so I just grabbed a bit of everything that I saw."

"Uhm, thanks." Kagome took the bag from him. She was a little hungry, but a part of her wondered if this was just a way for Koga to prove that he could provide for her so he could try to convince her to become his mate. "Did you see anything else while you were out…?" She asked, daring herself to hope that Koga had seen, heard, or even smelled something – anything – that would mean Inuyasha was on his way.

"Nope. Just as quiet as its been everyday since you helped us drive those crazy birds out," Koga said confidently, seemingly unaware of the question hidden within her question.

"Oh…well that's…good," Kagome said hesitantly as her heart sank a bit. "I'm glad your territory is safe…" Quite suddenly, she wanted to be alone for a little bit. She cast her eyes around for an escape from Koga, and her eyes landed on the waterfall. "Is there a hot spring nearby? Or a way to get down to the water? I think I'd like to bathe."

Koga thought for a moment, "The nearest hot spring is a fair distance away, even for me…Getting down to the river is a quick trip though." He turned to Ginta and Hakkaku. "Why don't you two show her the way down? I want to go check something out."

"Sure thing." Ginta and Hakkaku said simultaneously, although both had a slight look of confusion on their face. Koga had just been out on his morning run, why hadn't he looked into whatever he was talking about while he was out?

Koga nodded to the two, then put a hand on Kagome's shoulder, "See you soon." He gave her shoulder a small squeeze before running off again.

"This way, Kagome," Ginta said, pulling her attention away from the retreating whirlwind. He and Hakkaku lead her to a small path that lead down the canyon face to where the waterfall crashed into the river below. They left her near the bottom, to give her some privacy and to get back to their guard duty.

Kagome waited until they were gone before beginning to strip. She hadn't lied, she did want to bathe, but it was also a convenient way to get away from the wolf demon tribe for a little bit. The top of the water was sun-warmed, but beneath it was so cold that she couldn't help but let out a small yelp as she got in. Taking a deep breath, she quickly ducked down beneath the surface, waiting for her body to get used to the temperature of the water. It was so peaceful down there; she almost didn't want to go back to the surface. So quiet and calm…a sharp contrast from the violence of the world above.

She waited until her lungs felt like they were on fire before breaking the surface of the water to take in a breath of air. She floated there for a moment, getting a better look at her surroundings. When she looked towards the waterfall, she noticed that some rocks higher up caused a break in the falling water, directing a small amount of it away from the main crashing stream. She made her way over to this smaller waterfall, which seemed to be falling with a lot less pressure. Hesitantly, she put a hand under it. To her delight, it fell with no more pressure than her shower at home. She stepped under it, letting the falling water flow through her hair and pound into her back. It felt good, and she wondered if Inuyasha ever stood under small waterfalls like this one when his back was sore.

_Inuyasha…_ Kagome had unintentionally thought of him, and now she couldn't get him out of her mind. She desperately wanted to know that he was okay…but if he was why hadn't he come for her yet?

A tear slid down her cheek to mingle with the falling water, quickly followed by another. Her thoughts could only settle on one reason as to why he hadn't come to the canyons yet. She didn't like it, didn't want to believe it, but what other reason could there be? She put her head in her hands, the emotional chaos that had plagued her since yesterday bubbling to the surface. She let her tears flow to join the falling water and sobbed quietly where the roar of the waterfall would drown out the noise she made.

* * *

><p>Koga had wandered past the edge of his tribe's territory. He was retracing the steps he had taken to bring Kagome here yesterday. He stopped to smell the wind, his expert nose picking up and identifying smells from a few miles away. "Hmph…no sign of the useless mutt…" he muttered to himself. His thoughts were on the same track as Kagome's: no sign of Inuyasha probably meant he was dead. He stared off into the distance, wondering if Kagome was coming to the same conclusions he was. If she wasn't…how was he going to tell her that the mutt wasn't coming back? He certainly didn't want to upset her, but she would have to know the truth sooner or later. He would give her today, maybe tomorrow too, and then he would tell her what she wouldn't want to hear.<p>

* * *

><p>The worst of Kagome's tears had stopped flowing. She was almost glad she had started crying, she felt much better now that she had let some of her emotions out. Now that her body was used to it, the water felt good, so she had swam around the small pool at the bottom of the waterfall for a little bit. On one of her trips around she had found a large, flat rock in the water that she could sit on and mostly be above the water. She had retrieved the bag of fruit Koga had brought for her and was now sitting on that rock, eating a pear. She would have to ask Koga where the fruit trees were. Fruits and vegetables always seemed to taste fresher here in the feudal era. She would have to pick some and bring it back home to her mother to cook with.<p>

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of rocks being disturbed. Someone was nearby and she was still naked in the water! She quickly slipped off the rock, submerging her body into the water again and almost unintentionally yelled, "SIT!" It was an automatic reaction after the many times Inuyasha had wandered nearby while she was bathing.

"Uhm, o-kay…" Said a voice that most certainly was **not** Inuyasha. She turned to see Koga standing there, a look of confusion on his face that was slowly turning to embarrassment with a slight flush as he realized she was still unclothed.

"Ah! I didn't mean you sit!" Kagome said, her face turning a bright red as spun around so she wasn't facing Koga anymore. "I really didn't mean you, I thought you might have been someone else, and it was just a reflex really from all the other times…" She babbled awkwardly.

"Right, right, I got it." Koga said quickly, also turning away from her. "I'll…uhm…I'll be up with the tribe…"

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief once Koga left, her face still very pink. That had been so embarrassing! She quickly glanced around for anyone else that might be near by before getting out of the water and dashing for her clothes. She didn't particularly want to be caught by anyone else. It meant her clothes would be a little damp, as she didn't have her towel or other bathing items, but at this point damp clothes were better than no clothes. She quickly ran her fingers through the wet mess that was her hair in an effort to comb it. Satisfied that she was more presentable than she had been a few moments ago, she gathered up the bag of fruit and made her way up the cliff face to rejoin the wolf demons.

Koga was leaning against a rocky wall opposite of where Kagome's path up the cliff ended, obviously waiting for her. "So..uhm…" Koga started, still somewhat suffering from embarrassment, "what would you like to do today…?" Kagome gave him a confused look, so he continued. "I mean, you spent all of yesterday sitting on that rock over there. I'm assuming you would rather do something else then just sit and wait, so what would you like to do?"

"Uhm," Kagome thought for a moment, looking off into the distance. She hadn't given much thought of what she could do while with Koga. "…I think I'd like to explore the canyon a bit." She said finally, ignoring the part of her that was practically screaming for her to go look for Inuyasha.

Koga grinned, "Alright then. I'll give you a tour of the area!" He straightened up, ready to take her wherever she wanted to go.

"Okay," Kagome agreed with a half-laugh. She had really wanted to wander around alone, but she couldn't bring herself to tell that to Koga. Besides, if Koga was with her it was far more likely she would be able to find her way back to the caves.

* * *

><p>"…and this is where I found that fruit for you!" Koga stated, showing Kagome a grove of trees that were a mix of fruit trees, evergreens, and other kinds. They had meandered their way to the edge of the pack's territory, and seeing trees on the edge of the canyon had reminded Kagome that she wanted to see where Koga had found the fruit.<p>

"This is a nice, quiet place." Kagome commented, enjoying the calm in the air.

"I suppose it's an okay place, little too peaceful for me..." Koga said, then he looked at Kagome and quickly amended his statement, "not that there's anything wrong with peaceful. Peaceful can be good!"

Kagome held back a small sigh. Some things never changed. She stepped forward and looked up into the branches of the trees. Pears were abundant among the branches, along with oranges and even a few apples. Some still needed time to ripen but others looked to be at the perfect time to pick. The colors were so much more vibrant here than in the markets Kagome would buy her fruit at back home. She wondered if it was because the air and water were so much cleaner here.

Suddenly, Kagome felt something grab her around the waist and pull her up into the branches of the trees. She looked up to see what had grabbed her. "Kouga!" She exclaimed indignantly. She was going to say more, possibly scold him for grabbing her so suddenly, when she noticed he was staring intently at something on the ground. She followed his eyes and saw a large boar nosing some fallen fruit not very far from them. With her thoughts elsewhere she must not have noticed it wandering towards her, and she instantly felt ashamed that she had almost yelled at Koga for getting her out of harm's way.

"I'll be back in a moment." Kouga said, making sure Kagome was steady on the branch before leaping back down. Kagome tried to see what he was doing but the Shikon no Tama shards in his legs made Kouga move faster than her eyes could follow. "Oye, Kagome, it's safe to come down now," he called up mere moments later.

Kagome carefully began lowering herself out of the tree. Kouga stood near the base of the tree, ready to help her if she asked or catch her if she fell, but he let her have her independence. The boar lay on its side a few feet away, clearly dead as blood poured from the wounds Kouga had inflicted on it. Up close, the boar looked even bigger. It was definitely bigger than Kagome had expected, or maybe wild animals in the past were just larger than Kagome was used to.

"The pack will eat well tonight," Kouga remarked as he admired his kill. "This one is big enough to feed all of us twice over."

"Maybe we should head back to the den now," Kagome suggested, promising herself to bring her bow and arrows if she ever left the main territory of the pack.

"If that's what you would like," Kouga said, easily lifting the boar by one of its long tusks and throwing it over his shoulder. "After you," he said in an attempt to be polite. Kagome began to walk back down into the canyon ahead of Koga, but before going down too far she looked off in the direction of where they had found Naraku. '_Inuyasha…please, come soon…'_


	5. Night Two

_~~Night Two~~_

Kouga sat off against a side wall of the cave, eating part of a leg from the boar he had brought down. He was pleased to see Kagome interacting with his pack much easier than she had the night before. Right now she was talking to Ginta and Hakkaku, they were trying to convince her to let them teach her how to use the spear that was the typical weapon for them. Well, Ginta was trying to convince her anyway. Hakkaku was still stuffing his face with boar meat like he hadn't had a good meal in weeks.

A grey wolf had wandered over and started sniffing at the leg in Kouga's hand. He wasn't particularly hungry right then, so he let the dog take the bone from him. As it settled down to gnaw the meat off the bone, Kouga started to relax against the cave wall. He closed his eyes as the coolness of the rocks flowed into his body, listening to their conversation from afar.

"Come on Kagome! You would do well with a spear!"

"No, really, my bow and arrows are perfect for me…"

"Your bow is good, but what if someone gets really close to you?"

"Then it's less likely that I'll miss them."

"But you might run out of arrows sometime."

"I try to keep a good supply of arrows ready just in case."

"But that's the great thing about a spear! As long as you don't throw it you'll always have it!"

"I guess that's true, but I don't really have the strength to do much damage with a spear."

"That's not a problem! We can show you ways to defend yourself that don't take too much strength!"

"That would be nice, but when would I really need to defend myself that badly?"

"Well it doesn't seem like Inuyasha is going – OW!"

No one had actually seen him move, but in an instant Kouga had crossed the room and hit Ginta over the head. Ginta sat there rubbing the spot where he had been hit, giving his leader a resentful but confused look. Kouga answered his look with a slight jerk of his head towards Kagome. She had been quite cheerful a moment ago, even smiling, but her face fell and her hair hid her eyes when Inuyasha's name was brought up. 'Dammit…she was happy… Why'd he have to go and bring up the mutt?' Kouga thought in annoyance, but the only sign of his thoughts that he showed was a loud exhale.

"I think I'd like to go to bed now," Kagome said quietly, looking up at Kouga as if asking if that was alright with him.

Kouga gave her a nod to show his consent as he fought down the urge to hit his companion again. He patiently waited for Kagome to stand and bid her friends good-night before escorting her back to his sleeping area. Walking slightly behind Kagome, it was easy for the pack-leader to send a glare back at Ginta without her noticing.

Kagome had been dead silent on the short walk to Kouga's sleeping area. It made him uneasy. She was normally a very cheerful person. Kouga would even take a pissed off Kagome over the depressed one walking just in front of him. He wanted to try to break her silence but when he opened his mouth to say something his mind went blank. What could he possibly say to cheer her up?

They reached his sleeping area in a matter of seconds, although the silence made it feel like several minutes. Kagome mumbled something that vaguely sounded like 'good night' as she made for the pile of furs that had been left there from the previous night.

"Uhh…Kagome?" Kouga started hesitantly. Kagome turned to look at him, she seemed vaguely curious but there was no denying that sadness had settled into the brown eyes that were normally alight with laughter. He couldn't stand to see her like this, he had to do something, but even he was surprised by the words that left his mouth, "If it makes you feel better… I'll go have a look around in the morning…see if the mutt is somewhere nearby."

"Really? You mean it?" Kagome asked. Although her voice held some caution in it, Kouga's words instantly took away the sadness that plagued her. Her brown eyes were a little brighter, she seemed to stand straighter, and that smile everyone loved was almost back.

"Promise," Kouga said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder as he held back a sigh. He didn't particularly _want _to go looking for Inuyasha, actually he would rather the mutt never showed his face again if he had survived the battle with Naruku, but as Kagome's smile finally truly appeared since he brought her here he knew he would be willing to do just about anything to keep it there. "Can't make any promises, but if I find him in one piece I'll drag him straight back here, whether he likes it or not."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much, Kouga!" Kagome's thanks were so genuine and she looked so happy just because he said he would try. It was the exact effect that Kouga had hoped his words would have.

Kouga felt a slight blush rising to his cheeks. He quickly clamped a lid on the blushing. He was a demon! Not to mention the leader of his pack! Claiming Kagome as a mate and defending that claim was one thing, but he shouldn't be openly displaying emotions like this. Still, as Kouga watched her turn and settle into the pelts she would sleep in, he had to admit that seeing Kagome happy pleased him.

Kouga patiently waited for Kagome to get comfortable, watching her as her face slowly relaxed into the beginnings of sleep. Once he was sure she going to sleep soundly, a look of annoyance crossed his face. He stalked back out to the main area of the cave, intent on giving Ginta a few lumps for making him promise to do something he certainly didn't want to. He would give Hakkaku some too, for stuffing his face when he should have been stopping Ginta from opening his mouth.


	6. Day Three

_~~Day Three~~_

For the second time, Kagome awoke alone in Kouga's sleeping area. She frowned, what time was it and when had Kouga left? She had meant to wake up to see him off, if only because he had promised to look for Inuyasha today. She sighed and pushed herself up into a kneeling position. A few pieces of straw fell from her hair and she let out a slight groan. _I'd never get used to this_, she thought as she ran her fingers through her hair to get rid of anything else that might have attached itself while she slept. As she went to straighten her school uniform out, she noted it wasn't as clean as she would like. She would have to head back through the well soon to have it washed… Maybe she should find a different outfit to wear while she was here in the past, with all the fighting she got involved in her shirt never stayed white for very long.

She meandered her way to the front of the cave. It seemed like the pack had already settled into their daily routine. At the mouth of the cave she took a quick peek at the sky and was shocked by how high it was. It had to be late morning already. She was so used to getting up early, both here to continue the hunt for Shikon Jewel shards and at home to get to school on time. How had she slept in so late? After a moment of thinking, she figured it was for the exact reasons she was shocked at being up late. Maybe her body had taken the opportunity to catch up on sleep she had been missing.

"Kagome!" A voice behind her called. Kagome turned to see who was still in the cave at this hour. Ginta was approaching her, Hakkaku was still in the back with wolf that seemed to be lying on its side.

"Good morning," Kagome said, offering what she hoped to be a cheerful smile and giving Hakkaku a small wave when he looked up at her.

"Kagome, you should come see this," Ginta said, taking Kagome's arm and leading her back to Hakkaku, who was gently petting the wolf laying in front of him.

"See wha-," Kagome started to ask, but immediately broke off and made an cooing sound. Nestled against the stomach of the wolf were five tiny and absolutely adorable pups. Three of them were a light shade of brown, one was a light gray, and one was a darker gray that might darken to black once it was older. Their fur looked so soft, Kagome was dying to pick one up and cuddle with it.

"They were born early this morning, just before dawn," Hakkaku said, rubbing the mother's head gently.

"They're so cute~," Kagome practically squealed, but she kept her voice down so she wouldn't disturb the six wolves. One of the brown-furred pups raised its head and started sniffing at the air, most likely curious at the new scent nearby. "Can I…hold one?" She asked hesitantly.

Hakkaku looked down at the mother questioningly. She looked back up at him for a moment, then let out something that kind of sounded like a 'wulf' and laid her head back down on the ground. Hakkaku looked up at Ginta and nodded. Ginta carefully picked up the brown pup with its head up and gently handed it to Kagome.

Kagome thought she was going to explode just from the small ball of fur in her arms. She crooned at it softly as it sniffed at her. She giggled when its warm tongue darted out to lick her cheek.

For just a moment, she could forget that Inuyasha was missing.

* * *

><p>Kouga had already scouted out the pack's territory and was following through on his promise to Kagome. By now, he was a few miles or so beyond the edge of the canyon and heading in the direction of where Naraku's castle had been three nights ago. He paused to see what his nose could pick up from the wind. Although he tried to find the mutt's stench, he was mostly looking to find Naraku's scent.<p>

So far, he hadn't found any trace of the hated smell. This didn't surprise him, he usually couldn't find the scent to begin with because of that damn barrier always up around the castle. The missing scent could also mean the castle had moved, just like it had the night Kagura had killed some of his pack and manipulated their bodies with that weird fan. Either way, the only explanation for the scent not to be there meant Naraku was still alive. If the mutt had succeeded in killing him, the stench of his death would be all over this area for days.

Inuyasha's scent was in the wind, but it was a stale scent that had most likely been from when he was on the way to the fight. The most logical explanation that Kouga could come up with for both scents being missing was that the mutt had died trying to kill Naraku and his body was behind the barrier. It was a reasonable explanation for the missing scents…but not one Kagome would want to hear.

Kouga put his head in his hand. What would he tell Kagome? Without proof that he was alive he had to tell her the truth: that he had seen no sign of that cursed mutt. Even so, Kouga couldn't bear the thought of upsetting her. She had actually smiled at him last night. Coming out here he had just hoped to see some sign of the mutt, like a piece of his clothing or even just a fresh scent. He couldn't see himself crushing Kagome's hopes of seeing that stupid half-demon again. She would probably be waiting for him when he got back, all smiles and eager to hear if he had found anything.

Kouga turned and started running towards the canyons at an easy pace, opting not to go at full speed because it would give him far more time to think. How was he going to break it to her? He could leave out his own observations and just say he hadn't seen anything. True it was sure to upset her, but if she took that at face value and chose to believe he was still alive… No doubt she would deny his death for another few days. Kouga decided to follow this plan. One step at a time, as the saying goes. It seemed a little cruel to her but this would also give him time to talk to her, make her more comfortable around him in the pack. Then, when she was finally ready to accept the mutt's death, he would be waiting to comfort her and finally make her his mate.

* * *

><p>Kagome continued to cuddle with the pup into the early afternoon, under the watchful eye of the mother of course. It wasn't until she heard other pack members calling greetings that she realized how late in the day it was. She looked up towards the front of the cave expectantly.<p>

Kouga responded to the greetings with small waves and short 'yo's as he approached the cave entrance. If what he had to say was going to hurt Kagome, he wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Despite his resolve, he stopped and stared at the sight of Kagome cuddling a pup in her arms. It was a perfect picture in his mind, the woman he desired holding a young one. She had this almost motherly look about her as she turned to look towards him. His will faltered, how was he supposed to tell her now? He cleared his throat and asked, "How are the pups?," because he couldn't think of anything else to say right then.

"They're beautiful," Kagome offered before handing the one she had been holding back to Ginta.

"All of 'em are good and healthy," Ginta reported as he nestled the little one back in with its siblings.

"Good," Kouga nodded, "the pack could use some pups." Alright, maybe he was avoiding Kagome's expectant looks by talking about the new arrivals, but he was trying to get his thoughts together before she began questioning him.

"Kouga…?" Kagome asked. Why was he avoiding looking her in the eye? He hadn't forgotten about his promise to look for Inuyasha this morning, had he?

"Kagome, would you like to go for a walk?" Kouga offered, gesturing towards the cave entrance. He cursed silently, how should he tell her?

"Uhm..okay," Kagome agreed, standing and straightening out her skirt.

Kouga led her out of the cave and beyond the immediate encampment of his tribe, barely pausing to return greetings called to the two of them. Despite his best efforts to appear calm and unbothered, Kagome could tell something was weighing on his mind. This worried her, had he found something wrong when he had been out looking for Inuyasha?

She patiently waited for Kouga to say something as they continued the walk around the familiar area of the canyon. Finally, she couldn't contain her curiosity any longer, "Uhmm…Kouga?" His eyes slid towards her, letting her know she had his attention, "Did you… look for Inuyasha this morning?"

Kouga took a moment longer to think before answering, "Yeah, I wandered out towards where Naraku's castle was a couple days ago."

Kagome waited to see if Kouga was going to continue. "Did you find anything?" she prompted when it didn't seem like he was.

"Nah," Kouga said. Although he had tried to appear calm about the situation, when Kagoma stopped walking he quickly tried to amend his statement, "If the mutt crawled off somewhere he didn't leave anything for me to follow." He turned to Kagome and was startled to see tears were welling up in her eyes. Suddenly, any plans to let her draw her own conclusions immediately left Kouga. "H-Hey, just 'cause I didn't find anything doesn't mean the mutt's dead," he blurted out.

"But… that doesn't mean… he's alive," Kagome whispered, barely audible behind the hands that covered her mouth. If Kouga hadn't found anything with his enhanced demon senses, did she have any hope at all that Inuyasha might be alive? She was trying very hard not to cry in front of Kouga, but even so a tear still slid down her cheek.

"K-Kagome," Kouga almost looked like he was in shock, and he was silently cursing himself for opening his mouth again when he had already made her cry. "I-If the mutt is dead, it's his own fault for not falling back when he should have. It's not like there's anything you could've– "

"You don't know that!" Kagome burst out. She squeezed her eyes shut to try to stop the tears from flowing.

"But Kagome, if you had stayed…" Kouga tried to reason with her, he just wanted to make her feel better.

"If I had stayed things could be different!" Kagome's voice rose with every word even as another tear slid down her cheek. "I could've shot another arrow at Naraku… or maybe I could have tried to purify Kagura's attacks... or…"

"Or you could be dead!" Kouga instantly regretted his outburst when he saw Kagome flinch at his words.

"…I'm going to go look for Inuyasha myself," Kagome whispered, letting her bangs hang over eyes to hide any other tears that might fall.

"What?" Kouga asked, not sure if he had heard her correctly.

"I said I'm going to go look for him!" Kagome stated a little louder, turning on her heels and walking away.

"K-Kagome!" Kouga called after her, but she didn't even stop. Kouga sighed, she seemed too set on that wild goose chase. He was a little hesitant to let Kagome wander around on her own, but she was still in the pack's territory for now and she could use her arrows to attack any stray demons that had wandered too far this way by mistake.

Kouga decided to take a quick run to clear his head. Kagome confused him so much. Couldn't she just accept being his mate and forget about that damn mutt? What was so attractive about the half-breed anyway? What did _he_ have that Kouga didn't?

The quick run became longer than he meant as he grew more frustrated with his thoughts and felt the need to burn off that frustration. It was some time before he returned to the main camp of his pack, looking to see if Kagome had come back. Seeing she wasn't, he called out to Ginta and Hakkaku that he was leaving again and started walking towards the edge of the camp.

On his way out, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and looked towards the rock that Kagome had stubbornly sat on all day the first day she had been here. Lying next to the rock was a simple red bow and brown quiver full of white-fletched arrows.

_Shit… she's out there unarmed!_ Kouga jumped forward and grabbed Kagome's weapons before taking off running in the direction she had wandered in.

* * *

><p>"Stupid Kouga…" Kagome thought aloud, kicking a rock in her path in frustration. "If he hadn't run off with me, I would know exactly where Inuyasha is right now. I could be treating any wounds he has! He might not even <strong>be<strong> wounded if I had been there with him!" Even now, she refused to admit that Inuyasha might be more than just wounded.

She had left the canyon area already, her determination driving her faster towards whatever destination she would find. The rocks that formed the canyon walls were already changing into the grass and trees of a forest.

Using one rock to steady herself, Kagome lowered herself onto a fallen log and from there jumped down to solid ground again. _I'm going to tell Inuyasha a thing or two when I find him, making me worry and go through all this trouble just to find him…_

Kagome stopped dead, sensing something with the aid of her miko powers. She glanced around, wondering what it was that had made her stop. A rustling in the grass to her right caused her to jerk her head around towards the source. She suddenly felt vulnerable, out here in the open.

Despite her unease, Kagome still strode forward. Whatever it was that she had sensed, it wasn't Inuyasha and she still needed to find him. She put the rustling sound out of her mind and focused on her goal. Still, it was hard to ignore a sound that just wouldn't go away.

When the rustling paused for a moment, Kagome stopped walking and looked towards where she had last heard it. She couldn't see anything among the grass, trees and bushes. She still felt like something was there… was something watching her? As she tried to puzzle out this weird sound something flew at her from behind. Kagome let out a small shriek as she barely managed to dodge whatever it was by falling to the ground.

"The Shikon Jewel…I smell it… you have it," An otherworldly voice came from above Kagome. She couldn't quite tell if the voice was male or female. Kagome instinctively put a hand to the small jar that held a few of the Shikon Jewel shards and looked up. Hovering in the air quite a way above her, she saw a giant worm-like demon with an eerily human-like face and a red mane trailing down its back. "I want it…I want it!" Kagome let out another small shriek as she tried to avoid the demon's dive.

Falling to get her on the dive, the demon wheeled around and headed straight back towards Kagome. She tried to scoot backwards, but the demon covered much more distance than she did. "Stay away!" Kagome yelled, holding up a hand defensively. When her hand drew even with the demon, a bright pink light burst out, striking the demon. The demon howled in pain and crumpled to the ground not far away from where Kagome sat.

Kagome looked down at her hand. It had been awhile since she had used her miko powers like this. She could count the number of times she had done so, like when she had first come to the feudal era and had that nasty run-in with that Centipede demon from the Bone-Eater Well. Usually the only way she could manipulate her powers was through her bow and – …..

"AH! I left my bow back at the wolf demon tribe!" Kagome exclaimed out loud, a look of pure shock crossing her face as she realized exactly how much trouble she was in. How could she defend herself without her usual weapon?

The body of the demon shuddered, then the head raised and looked at Kagome. "Pitiful mortal," that otherworldly voice sounded slightly pissed off. "I will make you pay for that. GIVE ME THE JEWEL!"

As the demon started to rise from the ground Kagome stumbled to her feet and started running. With no weapons her only choice was to try to make it back into the wolf demon territory and hope someone was nearby to help her. She didn't make it far before she felt her feet lose their ground, later she would realize that in her rush she must have stepped on or tripped over something and lost her balance.

Laughter made her look back at her pursuer. The demon was already so close to her and was moving quite fast. Kagome covered her head with her hands in a futile attempt to defend herself, squeezing her eyes shut as the demon rose up to make the final attack.

The next thing Kagome heard was the sound of a sword being drawn from its sheath and then metal cutting through flesh. Kagome peeked out from under her arm to try to see what was going on. Through the space between her arms she could see bare feet and the bottom of a red hakama.

Hardly daring to breathe, Kagome moved her arms to try to view this new person better. Her eyes traveled up red garments and watched as the silver-haired and gold-eyed form push a large sword into a sheath that looked too small for it.

"Keh, what a weakling," the figure scoffed before turning around. "You alright, Kagome?"

"I-Inuyasha?" Kagome asked hesitantly as she pulled herself up into a sitting position. She felt her heart begin to race as she realized it really was him standing there in front of her.

"Of course! Who did you –" Inuyasha didn't finish, ears twitching and hand moving towards the hilt of his sword again.

"Kagome!" Kouga suddenly jumped into view, a bow in one hand and the strap of a quiver in another. As he jumped forward with the sole intention of getting to Kagome, Inuyasha neatly landed a punch on the back of his head.

"Stupid wolf!" Inuyasha growled, clearly pissed at the presence of Kouga. "I told you to watch out for Kagome! Why did I come back to find her being attacked?"

"Oye, mutt." Kouga rubbed the spot where he had been hit, glaring at the dog-demon. "Where the hell have you been? I should skewer you for making Kagome worry like you did. You're so inconsiderate!"

"You haven't answered my question yet, wolf. Why was she –,"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome launched herself at Inuyasha's back with the intention of hugging him. She had barely touched him when Inuyasha stiffened and started to fall. Kagome quickly released her hold as Inuyasha fell flat on his face as if she had used her subjugation command. "Oh, sorry sorry! Are you still hurt Inuyasha?" She asked, concern plain both in her voice and on her face as she knelt beside him.

"Fine," came the reply muffled by the earth.

"You're not fine," Kagome frowned. "How bad is the wound? Is it from Naraku? He didn't get any poison in it, did he?"

"Kagome, I'm _fine_." Inuyasha insisted despite the fact that he had made no attempts to move yet.

Kouga watched this small exchange and felt feelings of resentment and even a hint of jealousy well up within him. Seeing Kagome worry over him had just confirmed what he already knew but refused to admit: Inuyasha had a special spot in Kagome's heart, a spot he would never be able to fill. He still had no idea what she saw in the mutt, but if being with him made her happy…

Kouga shed the weapons he was holding, then took a step forward so he could kneel and have his face be so close to Kagome's. He took up her hands in both of his, "Kagome, I see you're worried about him, so I'll let you stay with him for now. But you can always come back here if you want, you'll always be welcome among the pack."

"That's nice, Kouga," Kagome said, feeling the slightest of blushes rise to her cheeks. "But could you get off Inuyasha? I think you're hurting him." It was true, that step forward to move him closer to Kagome had put Kouga's foot squarely between Inuyasha's shoulder blades.

"Only because you asked me too," Kouga said with a wink. Kouga removed the offending foot and straightened up.

"Damn wolf," Inuyasha muttered, raising his head. "I'll take you on right here, right now!"

"Well that'd be no fun," Kouga said with a shrug, his carefree attitude back. He turned to go. "Later, Kagome!" He raised a hand in farewell before taking off back the way he had come.

"Stupid wolf," Inuyasha muttered quietly, glaring at Kouga's back until it was out of sight and his hearing range. Kagome smiled and shook her head, just happy that Inuyasha was there to get angry at Kouga. Inuyasha quickly righted himself, now standing next her. "Let's go, Kagome." He offered her a hand to help her stand up.

Kagome looked up at him, then smiled and accepted the hand up. "Is everyone else okay, too?" She asked Inuyasha curiously as he pulled her up.

"Yeah, we all got out of there okay. Kaede's been helping us recover." Inuyasha replied, staring into the distance for a moment before turning his eyes back to Kagome. "That's why I didn't come for you right away, the old crow wouldn't let me stand on my own, not to mention leave her hut. I had to give her the slip just to get out here today." Another short pause, as if he was trying to actually get himself to admit to something. "And…I'm sorry…if I made you worry…"

"At least you're okay, that's what's important." Kagome said, leaning over to pick up her bow and quiver from where Kouga had discarded them. "Can we go back to everyone now?"

"Yeah, let's go." Inuyasha said. He walked forward, not running so Kagome could keep up with him easily. It occurred to Kagome that he would probably be carrying her if it wasn't for the wound on his back. Still, as Kagome followed Inuyasha through the woods she couldn't keep the smile off her face as she thought of reuniting with her friends. Even Inuyasha's protests of their slow movement couldn't dampen her spirits as they traveled along the road towards whatever adventures would come next.

_~~End~~_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: What, you didn't seriously think I killed Inuyasha, did you? XD I hope you all enjoyed reading it! **_  
><em>


	7. Alternate Ending

_~~Alternate Ending~~_

**A/N: Well, there was another way it could have ended... Maybe some of you thought I would write a different end to this little adventure. I considered this ending for a grand total of 5 seconds because I am pro InuKag, but its been on my mind recently and I thought I would put it out there for the KagomexKouga fans who stuck with me. This will pick up when Kagome was being attacked by the demon...Enjoy~**

* * *

><p>"AH! I left my bow back at the wolf demon tribe!" Kagome exclaimed out loud, a look of pure shock crossing her face as she realized exactly how much trouble she was in. How could she defend herself without her usual weapon?<p>

The body of the demon shuddered, then the head raised and looked at Kagome. "Pitiful mortal," that otherworldly voice sounded slightly pissed off. "I will make you pay for that. GIVE ME THE JEWEL!"

As the demon started to rise from the ground Kagome stumbled to her feet and started running. With no weapons her only choice was to try to make it back into the wolf demon territory and hope someone was nearby to help her. She didn't make it far before she felt her feet lose their ground, later she would realize that in her rush she must have stepped on or tripped over something and lost her balance.

Laughter made her look back at her pursuer. The demon was already so close to her and was moving quite fast. Kagome covered her head with her hands in a futile attempt to defend herself, squeezing her eyes shut as the demon rose up to make the final attack.

Then, a familiar voice rang through the trees, "Kagome!" As a sudden strong wind tosseled her black hair around, Kagome lifted her arms barely an inch to get a glance at the situation.

Kouga knew trouble was brewing the instant he smelled another demon along the path Kagome had taken. He had put on an extra burst of speed with the aid of the Jewel shards in his legs. Coming on the scene of Kagome on the ground with a demon rearing over her, he couldn't even consider hesitating as he ran forward and landed a solid kick on the demon's midsection. He dropped Kagome's weapon as he twisted into a roundhouse kick.

The blow damaged the demon badly and sent it sprawling backwards. Even the temptation of the Jewel would not keep it in the fight now. Fighting a mortal was one thing, but this was a fight it might not live through. It used the momentum from Kouga's blow to begin a hasty retreat.

Kouga was not about to let it get away. He drew the sword that hung at his side. It was mostly for show, his instincts led him to ignore it so he could count on one hand the number of times he had actually used the thing. Still, now was as good a time as any to use it. A few running steps and a jump gave his thrown sword more force than if he had just leaned into a throw. His aim could not have been more perfect than if he had thrown the sword point-blank. The tip of the sword plunged through the skull of the demon, impaling it on a tree where the body writhed in pain and death.

Kouga waited for the demon's death struggles to cease, outwardly calm but inside raging with impatience. When the body fell still he walked forward and withdrew the sword, allowing the body to sink to the ground. Black blood fell from the now open wound like a twisted waterfall. If it wasn't already dead it would certainly die from blood loss. Kouga only thought that the smell of the blood was offensive to his nose, so he cleaned his blade on the demon's body before returning it to the sheath at his side.

"Oye, Kagome!" Kouga called over his shoulder to her, he wanted to keep an eye on this demon for another moment or two in case it wasn't truly dead yet, "It's alright, I killed -," he paused, sniffing the air. A new smell had caught his attention, it smelled kinda like salt and kinda like water. He turned toward the source of the smell. He saw Kagome, at some point she had sat up but her hair was hiding her face. Kouga had no doubt the smell was coming from her and noted her shoulders were shaking ever so slightly. _Is she crying__?_ Kouga quietly approached her and squatted in front of her. "Kagome? Are you hurt?"

A small shake of her head was her only response. This close he realized she wasn't crying, not yet anyway. A tear or two might have run down her cheeks but she was doing her best to hold it in. Kouga had to wait in silence for a few moments, his only movement being a small twitch of his tail, before she spoke, "Kouga? Could you...take me home?"

Out of everything she could have possibly said right then, this was one he hadn't been prepared for. His mind reeled to find a response to her request. Instead, he found himself reacting to the scent of her tears. In one fluid motion he shifted his body so that his knees were holding his weight and he pulled Kagome into him, her head just below his chin. "Kagome, it's okay to cry."

It was a simple statement, but it must have been the right thing to say. Kagome let her tears flow freely as she buried her face deep into Kouga's chest. Kouga quietly let Kagome grieve for her lost friends, wrapping his arms around her and gently resting his chin on top of her head. It was a small gesture, but one to let her know he was there for her.

They stayed like this for what felt like an eternity, Kagome crying and Kouga offering quiet support. Kagome's sobs started to fade to small hiccups, but Kouga stayed as he was. It felt good to have her in his arms. Oh he had held her before, but never like this. Nothing he had experienced before compared to being in his arms like she was now. Besides, Kagome was making no effort to pull away from him and normally he could barely keep a hold on her hands.

Kagome spoke up again once she was all but cried out, voice muffled as she spoke into Kouga's chest, "Kouga? Really...can you take me home? Back to Kaede's village?"

"Hey," Kouga finally broke their embrace to look her in the eye. Without realizing what he was doing, one of his hands came up and wiped the last of the tears from her face. "It's almost sunset, it would be dangerous to start traveling now. Why don't you come back to the den for tonight? If you still want to go home in the morning, I swear I'll take you."

Kagome considered his offer. She really did just want to go home, but Kouga was right. Traveling at night was pretty dangerous, and he had just said he would bring her home in the morning... She nodded in agreement to his plan. Kouga gathered up Kagome's weapons before picking up Kagome herself. He carried her back to the pack's den exactly like he had carried her there three days ago.

On the run back, Kagome kept her face buried in the pelt that served as Kouga's left shoulder plate. She had never really been this close to Kouga before but now that she was she noticed his smell. The sweet smell of his straw bed was there, a smell Kagome knew well after sleeping in the same area. There was also the smell of soil, not deep earth like you might smell on a gardener but the smell of light dirt that got kicked up while Kouga went for a run. Underneath those was Kouga's unique smell. Kagome couldn't say exactly what the smell was, maybe if she had a nose like Kouga's she could. He smelled kind of like a dog but kind of not, kind of like sweat and strength but not quite. Whatever the smell was, Kagome found she actually kind of liked it. It smelled good, almost right, and the smell made her feel safe.

From what she could see when she peaked out from Kouga's pelts, they were almost back to the familiar den area of the wolf demon tribe. It was a welcome sight for her, and this made her feel conflicted. She still wanted to go home, but the den had almost become like another home for her.

_Tomorrow,_ Kagome thought as she heard Ginta and Hakkaku calling out greetings and questions, _Tomorrow I'll see if I want to ask Kouga to take me home..._

_~~End~~_

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well? Better/Worse/about the same as my chosen ending? **

**I feel I should explain why Kouga used his sword, yes he could have caught up easily or used his Goraishi to defeat him but those deaths would have been too quick and painless for having attacked his Kagome. **


End file.
